


To Be Free

by ImotoChan



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, M/M, a little bit of angst, cutes, mostly mako being perfect, nothing too serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-16 01:57:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2251548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImotoChan/pseuds/ImotoChan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Haru wonders what a "dream" is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Be Free

**Author's Note:**

> guh guh i wanted to post this before this week's episode but oh well hngh also gah i'm kinda really bad with titles i hope you like it~

"Haru?"  
  
"Haruka-senpai..."  
  
Haru meets their eyes, "Nagisa, Rei, Makoto."  
  
"It's okay. I'll swim the relay."  
  
Makoto reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder, but Haru darts to the side.  
  
"I'm going out for a bit." Haru slips past them, ignoring Nagisa's "Haru-chan!"

_what dream_   
  
_what future_   
  
_I_ _don't have any of that_

Haru bites his tongue, already regretting the words that caused Rin to have _that_  expression, empty and cold maroon eyes with no light.   
  
He meant it of course, he didn't have a dream like Rin, there was no career option labelled "free". Besides, Rin hadn't meant to do any harm. He was upset that Haru didn't swim, he was worried that Haru didn't swim.  
  
 _"They were scouts watching!"_  
  
Rin was worried about Haru, about what he planned to do after he graduates; he had naturally assumed Haru would swim.  
  
Haru understands that, but that decision was not for Rin to make. If Haru wanted to go to university on a scholarship, he would.  
  
Haru wonders if the others have any dreams, did they all want to pursue swimming?  
  
Nagisa has too many dreams to count--does he really want to become an astronaut?--while Rei seems much more suited to something like a doctor or scientist, but Haru can't be sure.  
  
Rin, he knows, wants to be an Olympic swimmer, he's always had that dream; his father's dream.  
  
What about Makoto? Did he have a dream?   
  
Makoto always asked Haru, but never once said anything himself.  
  
A secret, then?  
  
Haru ends up back in his room, falling backwards onto the bed with a quiet thud.  
  
"A dream...?" He mumbles, rolling onto his side.  
  
A few minutes pass before the door opens, followed by a soft "Haru?"  
  
"Mm."  
  
Makoto smiles when he sees that the boy hasn't wandered far. He knows there are times it's best to leave Haru alone and that there are times when he should sit by him and ramble away any worries Haru has, or times when he just needs to be there, to be in his presence so Haru knows that he isn't alone. 

For now, he settles on not saying anything.  
  
Makoto shuffles over to Haru's bed and sits on the edge, causing it to dip.  
  
Haru doesn't say anything for a while, but then Makoto sneezes, and Haru mumbles a bless you.  
  
"Thank you, Haru-chan." Makoto smiles, kind green eyes shining.  
  
"Don't call me that..."  
  
"Okay, Haru."  
  
"Makoto...?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Haru rolls over to meet Makoto's back, "Do you have a dream?"  
  
"Hm? A dream?" Makoto tilts his head upward, as if staring at the blank ceiling will give him some sort of answer.   
  
"Stop stalling, Makoto." Haru huffs.  
  
"Ahah, well, I think...being a teacher would be fun." Makoto mumbles.  
  
"A teacher?"  
  
Makoto's cheeks flush and he looks down into his lap, "Mm, maybe. After helping to coach those kids at the swim club, I thought it was fun. Kids are sweet. Maybe I could get a job at the swim club..." He trails off.   
  
Haru stares at Makoto's back, and for the first time, if looks far away.  
  
Haru doesn't mean to reach for the fabric of Makoto's shirt, but he does.  
  
"Haru?" Makoto looks over his shoulder to see Haru's hand reaching for his back.   
  
He quickly pulls it away, mumbling some words incoherently.  
  
"You know, Haru, you don't need to have a dream." Makoto meets his eyes and smiles.  
  
"It's okay if you just want to be free."  
  
"You'll be okay, Haru. I know you will."  
  
Haru shifts his gaze downward, staring at his empty palm.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"Because you're Haru. You always know what to do. Like that time in elementary school when we got lost on the way home but you stayed calm and asked the owner of that grocery store for help."   
  
"Or the time we found that lost kitten and I said we should keep it but you told me we should put up posters, and then the kitten found it's home."  
  
"And when we went to the beach and you saved Rei and me."  
  
"Also, when we would pass the ocean and you would always tell me it's okay, and that it wouldn't hurt me."  
  
"And that day, when you first took me swimming, and I got to see you be free, and decided if I could be half as beautiful as you are when you swam, I would be content with that."  
  
"Makoto--"  
  
"I'm almost done, Haru. It's okay you don't have a dream. Don't worry, before we graduate, I'm sure you'll know where you want to go and what you want to do. But we still have some time. Until then, be free, okay?" Makoto takes a breath, he almost looks embarrassed.   
  
"Thank you." Haru mumbles quietly.  
  
And that is enough for Makoto to know that Haru is better off than before, if only a little.  
  
"Of course, Haru-chan." Makoto smiles at him, "The others are worried, you know."  
  
As if on cue, Rei and Nagisa come running through the door, and scream in unision.  
  
"Haru-chan!" "Haruka-senpai!"  
  
"Mako-chan, is Haru-chan okay?" Nagisa bounces over to the bed, sitting beside Makoto.  
  
"We brought snacks, Makoto-senpai." Rei holds up a plastic bag, glancing worriedly at Haru.  
  
Haru sits up, sighing, "I'm fine."  
  
"Haru-chan!" Nagisa throws his arms around him in a tight hug.   
  
Haru doesn't say anything, but a smile plays on his lips.  
  
"There's mackerel." Rei states.  
  
Haru immediately sits up straighter.  
  
"Rei-chan! That was supposed to be a surprise!" Nagisa pouts.  
  
"It was! Haruka-senpai didn't know until just now!" Rei huffs.  
  
"No, no, Rei-chan! You have to suddenly shove it at him! That's a surprise!" Nagisa explains, making a tsk sound.  
  
"I don't think Haruka-senpai would like that." Rei states, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.   
  
"Haru-chan!" Nagisa glares at the teen, who's now rummaging through the plastic shopping bag.   
  
"Mackerel..." Haru finds it, wrapped in plastic.   
  
Makoto laughs, "I guess it's dinner time?"  
  
Rei nods, "For myself I brought rice and a healthy--"  
  
"Nobody cares Rei-chan, pass me the Pocari!"  
  
"I don't know how you drink this!" Rei huffs, handing the can to Nagisa.  
  
Nagisa grins before taking a long sip, "It's sweet!"  
  
Makoto smiles, glancing out of the corner of his eye to see Haru smiling too.  
  
He'll be okay, Makoto knows that.  
  
Haru catches his eye, and gives him a small nod.  
  
 _I don't need a dream, yet_  
  
 _I just need to stay free_

**Author's Note:**

> bluh bluh bluh cheesy endings eheh i apologize if anyone seemed ooc hngh thanks for reading~


End file.
